Governance and livelihoods in UGanda's oil-rich alBertine GraBen

60 Pages·2013·0.98 MB·English

Governance
and livelihoods
in UGanda’s oil-rich
alBertine GraBen
March 2013
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Governance and
livelihoods in UGanda’s
oil-rich alBertine GraBen
2 International Alert
acknowledgements
This report has been produced as part of Harnessing the Potential of Oil to Contribute to Peace
and Development in Uganda, a project which is implemented by International Alert. We would
like to thank Paul Bukuluki and James Mugisha of the School of Social Sciences, Department of
Social Work and Social Administration, Makerere University who were the lead consultants. The
report was edited by Robert Senath Esuruku, Head of Research, International Alert, Uganda.
Richard Businge, Andrew Byaruhanga Bahemuka and John Rebman Kahima, all of International
Alert, Uganda, provided technical support and have contributed to the drafting of this report, as
did several Alert colleagues based in London.
Thanks to all the research assistants and the respondents who have participated in the study.
We would particularly like to thank the Petroleum Exploration and Production Department
of Uganda’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD) and Tullow Oil for their
contribution and support during this study. We would also like to thank our partners the Kitara
Heritage Development Agency (KHEDA), the Kabarole Research and Resource Centre (KRC),
the Rural Initiative for Community Empowerment – West Nile (RICE-WN) and the Voluntary
Initiative Support Organisation (VISO) for supporting the processes of this study.
This report was funded by our partner the Democratic Governance Facility (DGF), the UK
Department for International Development UKAID and the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade.
International Alert is grateful for the support from our strategic donors: the UK Department for
International Development UKAID; the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency;
the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The opinions expressed in this report are solely those of International Alert, and do not necessarily
reflect the opinions or policies of our donors.
Governance and livelihoods in Uganda’s oil-rich Albertine Graben 3
contents
Acronyms 4
Executive summary 5
1. introduction 10
1.1 Survey area and design 11
1.2 Outline of report 11
2. oil and gas context in Uganda 13
2.1 Oil legislation and policy 13
2.2 Stakeholders in the oil and gas sector 15
3. livelihoods in the region 17
3.1 Sources of livelihood 17
3.2 Access to livelihood resources 17
3.3 Household monthly income and expenditure 18
3.4 Sources of energy for cooking and lighting 20
3.5 Ownership of valuable assets 21
3.6 Land size, ownership and tenure system 22
3.7 Access to employment opportunities 23
3.8 Expectations from oil and gas exploration 23
4. Gender relations and participation 25
4.1 Gender roles in the household 25
4.2 Women’s control over assets 26
4.3 Decision making on income and expenditure 26
4.4 Perceived changes in gender roles 28
5. Governance and accountability 29
5.1 Accountability structures 29
5.2 Governance at national level 30
5.3 Governance at sub-county level 30
5.4 Governance at village level 31
5.5 Access to information 31
6. relationship between communities and oil companies 33
6.1 Community involvement in oil exploration process 33
6.2 Stakeholders’ satisfaction with oil companies 34
7. conflicts in oil exploration areas 35
7.1 Experience, nature and outcomes of conflict 35
7.2 Conflicts associated with oil exploration 36
7.3 Institutions helping to ease the conflict 37
7.4 Accessibility and effectiveness of institutions 37
8. displacements and compensation 39
8.1 Preparatory management of displacements 39
8.2 Effects of displacement 39
8.3 Dynamics surrounding compensation 40
8.4 Community satisfaction with compensation 40
9. environmental concerns 41
9.1 Knowledge of environmental protection mechanisms 42
9.2 Environmental impact assessment 44
10. conclusions and recommendations 45
Annex 1: Survey sample and design 49
Annex 2: Socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents 51
4 International Alert
acronyms
aneeJ The African Network for Environment and Economic Justice
csco Civil Society Coalition on Oil
cso Civil society organisation
eia Environmental impact assessment
MeMd Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development
neMa National Environment Management Authority
nGo Non-governmental organisation
noGP National Oil and Gas Policy
PePd Petroleum Exploration and Production Department
Psa Production sharing agreement
PWYP Publish What You Pay
sacoG South Albertine Civil Society Coalition on Oil and Gas
Ula Uganda Land Alliance
UWa Uganda Wildlife Authority
WWF World Wildlife Fund
Governance and livelihoods in Uganda’s oil-rich Albertine Graben 5
Executive summary
This study was commissioned by International Alert and the Democratic Governance Facility
in March 2012.1 It was carried out in the Albertine Graben, where oil exploration activities are
ongoing. The study was conducted within the framework of the Harnessing the Potential of Oil to
Contribute to Peace and Development in Uganda project, which is currently being implemented
by International Alert and its partners. The main objective of the survey was to establish baseline
data needed to measure the degree and quality of change in the livelihoods of the communities
where oil exploration is taking place.
Methodology
This baseline study employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches. It was carried out in
13 districts that were purposely selected from the Albertine region, covering the sub-regions of
Acholi, Bunyoro, Kigezi, Rwenzori and West Nile. Structured interviews, focus group discussions
and key informant interviews were conducted with government officials, members of parliament, oil
companies, civil society organisations, cultural institutions and communities. A total sample of 1,215
households was visited, of which 637 were male respondents and 578 were female respondents.
Key findings
Policy processes and legislative framework
Uganda has many policies and laws with sectoral links to petroleum. The process of development
of these policies, bills and laws has been consultative at the national level. The public, civil society
organisations and private sector actors have been involved in consultations related to development
of the 2012 Petroleum Bills that are currently being reviewed by parliament. These bills are
expected to govern the upstream, mid-stream and downstream stages of petroleum development.
Debates on the bills have increasingly taken on a national outlook, especially in respect to
demand for stronger provisions for transparency and accountability. However, consultation at
the local government and community level appears to have been limited. This study identified
some issues the respondents think should be included or dropped from the proposed Petroleum
Bills 2012. For example, the Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) Bill 2012
generally employs the approach of “willing buyer”, “willing seller” to acquire land. It also gives
the minister power to issue directions where the landowner “unreasonably withholds consent”.
The respondents contend that the bill must respect individual rights and freedoms. Moreover,
the bill does not envisage a fund and an adequately equipped unit with the capacity to rapidly
respond to environmental disasters and health safety risks.
community livelihoods
Oil exploration has a direct impact on economic, social and cultural dimensions of the community.
These impacts include changes in livelihood patterns, including fishing, agriculture, livestock
rearing strategies, hunting, eco-tourism, etc. This study revealed that a considerable percentage
1 The Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) is a multi-donor funding mechanism supported by Austria, Denmark, the European Union
Delegation, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. It focuses on deepening democracy; rights, justice and
peace; and voice and accountability. DGF provided financial support to the research processes and publication of this report.
6 International Alert
of households (22%) earn less than UGX 50,000 (about US$20) a month. However, regional
differences were significant, with higher proportions of households in Acholi and West Nile (37%
respectively) earning less than UGX 50,000 compared with Rwenzori (5%), Bunyoro (12%) and
Kigezi (25%). This finding reflects high levels of inequality and poverty in the region.
The respondents reported that oil exploration activities had affected the way they meet the needs
of their families. For example, 54% of the respondents perceived an increased restriction to
fishing activities, an important source of livelihood, in their communities. In general, people were
optimistic that oil production will contribute positively to increased employment opportunities
(57%), higher incomes (51%), improved access to roads (41%) and improved access to social
amenities (36%). Nevertheless, some community members were sceptical about the benefits that
would accrue from oil, because their youth and children are likely to be employed largely for
casual jobs due to a lack of necessary qualifications.
Gender relations
In the Albertine Graben, household decision making is mainly male dominated. For example,
more men (47%) than women (22%) reported taking charge of buying assets for the household.
In addition, fewer women (19%) than men (38%) reported making independent decisions in
disposing of vital assets such as land. On most indicators of gender roles and practices, except
repairing the house, more women than men reported that they ‘do everything’, indicating that
women’s workload is higher than that of men. This implies that, if the gender roles and practices do
not change, women are less likely to benefit from the proceeds of oil exploration and exploitation.
On the other hand, there may be changes in relationships between women and men in the future
if the commercial phase of oil exploration begins – such as changes in family income, education
and influence from other cultures – potentially leading to conflict between the sexes.
Governance dynamics
Efforts are being made to improve governance in the oil and gas sector. However, this study
established that the capacity of governance structures at local government level to coordinate,
monitor and supervise oil exploration and exploitation activities was perceived by stakeholders to
be inadequate. Some of the taskforces established to monitor and inform communities about oil
and gas development at the higher and lower local government level, for example in Bunyoro and
Rwenzori, were said to be ad hoc and without clear terms of reference, action plans, resources
and a common strategy for coordination of oil- and gas-related activities.
Generally, the study findings revealed a low performance rating for governance structures,
especially at national and district levels. Nearly half (49%) of the respondents disagreed with
the statement that ‘central government addresses community concerns about the oil and gas
sector’. Some 41% of the respondents disagreed with the statement that ‘they are confident
that the government is going to manage oil activities well for the benefit of the community’.
Similarly, 45% disagreed with the statement that ‘central government listens to community
views about oil exploration’.
Assessment of performance of structures at the lower local government level indicated that
75% of respondents disagreed that the sub-county leadership is addressing community concerns
about the oil sector. Dissatisfaction was particularly evident with regard to the level of integrity,
transparency, participation, capacity and performance exhibited by the leadership at sub-county
level. At the village level, a majority (77%) of the respondents disagreed with the statement that
‘community members are consulted in planning for social services provided by oil firms’. In relation
to access to information related to oil exploration, the majority (96%) of the respondents are not
aware of any policies governing oil exploration. It was noted that there is limited knowledge
about the size and scope of the oil exploitation activities in the region.
Governance and livelihoods in Uganda’s oil-rich Albertine Graben 7
relationship between the community and oil companies
Overall, some efforts were reported to have been made by the oil companies – through their
community liaison officers and corporate social responsibility projects – to engage stakeholders at
the community level. Nevertheless, quite a number of gaps appear to exist in the strategies used to
engage the affected communities. There is dissatisfaction due to a perceived lack of systematic and
comprehensive engagement of stakeholders at the local government and community level. About
two thirds (62%) of the respondents who had any interaction with the oil companies claimed they
were not satisfied with the interaction. Moreover, 81% reported that oil companies had never
released any public statement addressing their concerns. This has led to reports of suspicion and
mistrust. It may have serious implications for peaceful co-existence and the building of sustainable,
mutually beneficial relationships between the affected communities and the oil companies.
conflict and conflict resolution mechanisms
Overall, there are conflicts in the region ranging from intra- and inter-district conflicts to inter-
ethnic. Conflict seems to be centred on land ownership (66%) and land use (62%). Some of
these divisions relate to longstanding conflict between the Banyoro and the Bakiga, while others
are quite recent (e.g. conflicts between the Balaalo and Bagungu in Buliisa). In some cases, oil
exploration seems to have escalated already existing conflicts. In other instances, it appears to
have destabilised relationships with communities. The majority (80%) of the respondents reported
that local councils were the institutions that help to address institutional and individual cases of
conflicts, and to a lesser extent the family (40%), the police (39%) and clans (26%). Informal
conflict resolution institutions such as clans (41%) and the family (40%) were perceived as being
more effective than formal institutions such as the police (34%) and the courts (30%). This
implies that formal and informal structures of conflict transformation need to work in partnership
– especially in relation to land conflicts, which are common in the study communities.
displacements and compensation
The study established that only 10% of respondents in the Albertine Graben acknowledged
that their households were displaced in the past year. However, more displacement cases were
reported in the Bunyoro sub-region (13%), specifically Hoima (18%) and Buliisa (14%). The
main reason cited for low levels of displacement is that most of the oil exploration activities
are within government fields (national parks). In Kabaale, where the oil refinery is to be built,
the government estimates that over 30,000 residents are to be displaced. Although there is a
resettlement plan in place, the process of preparing displaced people to cope with their new
situation is inadequate. Findings also indicated that many people were not able to manage well
the proceeds from compensation (especially those whose property, such as crops, was destroyed).
Preparation plans aimed at building the capacity of affected people to manage the compensation
proceeds before they receive their packages were limited. In addition, some community members
felt that the compensation given was inadequate. Moreover, affected communities had limited
knowledge on the basics relating to definitions and guidelines on compensation.
environmental concerns
The Albertine Graben is one of the richest biodiversity areas in Uganda in terms of mammals,
birds and other species. The region also has minerals such as copper, cobalt, limestone, etc. In
addition, it has forest reserves and mountains. However, there appears to be no comprehensive
plan for integrated and sustainable natural resource exploitation and conservation. For example,
at the time of this study, there were no guidelines for waste management in the oil sector. In the
absence of guidelines by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), some oil
companies were reportedly piling wastes in gazetted places.
The study revealed that waste from the oil exploration activities – such as mud cuttings, drill
cuttings and waste water – are likely to contaminate the underground aquifers. Concerns were
raised by stakeholders about the potential impact of these activities on the environment and the
adequacy of mitigation measures. There was also limited knowledge on the policies, laws and
8 International Alert
regulations for environmental protection. More than half (52%) of the respondents reported
that they either thought there were no laws in place for environmental protection or that they
did not know of the availability of such laws. NEMA and other stakeholders are keen to ensure
that companies conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA) before engagement in oil
exploration activities. However, the socio-economic, socio-cultural and political impacts of oil-
and gas-related activities did not feature in the EIAs conducted.
Key recommendations
central government
The government should ensure that concrete strategies for transparency – in line with international
best practice on “combating the resource curse” – are enshrined in the new legislative framework
for oil.2 This should include transparency in new contracts and licences; institutional mechanisms for
revenue collection and management; transparency in the management of any Ugandan oil fund to be
set up; and clarity on the respective roles and responsibilities of different oversight agencies.
Given that there are other natural resources in the Albertine Graben – such as wildlife, limestone
and forest cover – a plan for sustainable natural resource exploitation and conservation needs to
be developed. In the area of the environment, the petroleum laws need to strengthen provisions
for responding rapidly to environmental damage and safety risks. The laws should explicitly
provide for regular reporting by the licensee/operator on the environment and safety aspects of
their operations.
The government should devise a comprehensive and long-term plan that clearly shows all oil and
gas exploration areas and exploitation activities, along with the places that will be affected by the
development of the oil- and gas-related infrastructure. It is also important to have a timeframe within
which such activities and infrastructure will commence in the various locations in the region.
The government should embark on developing a proactive information dissemination strategy
that addresses the information needs of people at community level. Information gaps on critical
issues in the oil and gas sector seem to be apparent; the current communication strategy needs to
focus on these, as raised by the various stakeholders in this report.
One of the major expectations, especially of the youth, is related to opportunities for job creation,
use of local labour and generally access to employment opportunities. The government should
develop a comprehensive and evidence-based programme to strengthen the vocational skills
training at Kigumba Petroleum Institute and at Makerere University. The youth skills programme
should be tailor-made to enable young people to tap into the potential opportunities that are
likely to result from oil and gas exploration and exploitation.
The findings indicate limited involvement of parliament, civil society, communities and other key
stakeholders in oil and gas exploration and exploitation issues. Therefore, the government should
effectively promote the participation of all key stakeholders by ensuring that the laws and policies
developed for managing the oil and gas sector set clear guidelines on the role of each stakeholder
in the sector. The government should also pay special attention to capturing local content in the
development of oil and gas policies.3 This should involve setting up local content committees at local
government and community level to monitor local content targets in their respective localities.
2 The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), launched in 2002 and endorsed by the World Bank in 2003, has provided tangible
governance improvements in resource-rich, conflict-affected countries. The United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) lays
the foundation for such a framework. Complementing this convention, a joint UN–World Bank programme, the Stolen Asset Recovery
initiative, was launched in 2007. The aim of this initiative is to help build global partnerships, strengthen national institutional capacity and
provide technical assistance to facilitate the recovery of stolen assets.
3 “Local content” refers to deliberate efforts to employ Ugandan materials, services and firms by the oil and gas companies.